Jonathan Aitken is to head a Conservative Party task force on prison reform.
Next week, Jeffrey Archer heads the truth and reconciliation commission, Neil Hamilton on modernising parliamentary scrutiny and Shirley Porter reviews London housing.
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22 comments ↓
Thats politics for you, Brown and thatcher, and now this what next.
We can’t pretend to be surprised by this. After all Aitken did go to Eton.
Clearly, Aitken’s an easy target, but are we really saying he can have no view on this? As a Labour Party member I’d rather focus on what they’re saying rather than who’s saying it – leave the cheap shots to someone else.
Liar. He is working for a think tank not the Conservatives.
That’s a big word to wield there westbrom blogger. First paragraph of the Observer article:
“Jonathan Aitken, the disgraced former Tory cabinet minister who was jailed for perjury, will be rehabilitated into the political frontline tomorrow when he takes charge of a task force on prison reform that will help formulate Conservative policy.”
He was invited by former leader Iain Duncan Smith, who was himself appointed to advise on policy by David Cameron.
Under the circumstances, is not unreasonable to conclude and assert that Aitken is working for the Conservatives
And as Peter Preston has also said, he has still not explained what he was doing in Paris on that infamous weekend.
Tom this story is a load of old spin and you know it. He’s been asked to do it by the Centre for Social Justice, which is an independent think tank, chaired by IDS. It has no formal links with the Party, in fact it is cross-party body which has worked with Labour MPs too. By your logic should I be taking all that the ippr do as Labours?
I realise your in this to dig up some old Tory s**t to sling (hence the picture) and I should have realised that pigs are happiest when reveling in sh*t.
Liar isn’t a “big word to wield” but its certainly ironic.
I am looking forward to the announcement of the Con con club.
Liars have no place in politics. Imagine if he were allowed back in the commons, he may lie to the House in order to bring about an illegal war leading to the deaths of thousands of our troops and hundreds of thousands of civilians. Or he could lie about selling honours for political donations.
No best to keep him on a subject he knows away from parliament. Somthing like prison conditions, perhaps?
Well if you’re tetchy about my comments, don’t read what Max Hastings has to say this morning:
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2209502,00.html
[...] Adam Boulton’s blog reports the following reaction from Government Whip, Tom Watson: This is a return to the disgraced, scandal-ridden Tory past. [...]
God almighty if I believed what the papers said I’d still be a member of Labour. The fact is Labour and the Tories are so close now I am surprised Brown did not ask him to join Labour, I am surprised Brown did not ask a few more ex criminal Tories to join.
The biggest Tory bloody crook had tea with Brown not to long ago in her pink suit.
The fact is whther he is working for the Tories or working for Labour looking for Browns vision. Does it really matter anymore.
Tom, why for once don’t you try not doing what Aitken did, lying, the only difference between him and a large number of your wonderfully honest(?) Labour MP’s is that he was not adept enough to evade prison. The recent bungled police investigation into cash for honors is a case in point as it is unbelievable that no one had a case to answer that would have resulted in a prison sentence.
As a Labour party member who has spoken personally with Jonathan Aitken about these issues I must admit I’m disappointed by your comments. I think Jonathan has a lot to offer on prison reform and this is too serious an issue to play party politics with. He served his time and makes no excuses for what he did. Urgent action is needed in our prisons and extra help is also needed for prisoners who are released so as they don’t re-offend. I think his idea for post prison mentoring is excellent and is something the government should look at.
Not tetchy Tom just dissappointed – I enjoy your blog but on this issue I am sorry you couldn’t resist a cheap shot. This man has paid his price and I believe has learnt a lot from the experience. In my opinion he’s a much more humble and reformed character than Hamilton or Archer and having seen ‘inside’ from the inside may well have some good ideas about prison reform.
As someone who has worked with offenders throughout my working life, I am very disappointed in much of this comment. I thought our criminal justice system sought to rehabilitate offenders? This man is joining other renowned individuals who have worked within the Criminal Justice System to look at our prison system. The report for an independent think tank may be used to change prison/sentencing policy. An apt subject at the present time as we imprison more people (particularly women) for longer periods than many other developed countries. Imprisonment costs a fortune – the more you build the more people end up with custodial sentences. I am hoping for a forward thinking report which may hopefully tie sentencers to prison places available etc etc. Punitive measures over recent years have not stopped offending (nor reconviction rates) – just increased costs to the taxpayer.
Perhaps Kimberley Quinn could take a position in family welfare capacity, or Jordan in the department for health, Victoria Beckham in the ministry of hair and Li-Lo spearhead a prohibition movement? Just a thought.
Great and a job please for Cynthia Payne too although she was a good sort and a charming lady who did not try and cash in like the other toe-rags
If we are in the business of handing out jobs, why not make Tony Blair a Peace Envoy?
I think that Aitken should do as profumo did – and concentrate on helping others, not seeking self-aggrandisement.
But I expect nothing more from the Conservative party. To call IDS’s shebang ‘independent’ is a joke – its typical hard-right religiously influenced traditionalism dressed up as something new.
Jailhouselawyer v Jonathan Aitken (Round 1)
You might find my comments interesting
The idea that the world can be divided into good people who tell the truth and bad people who lie and get sent to prison is a bit simple. I am no fan of J Aitken but getting people who have actually some personal inside knowledge to participate in policy discussions is what we advocate in other areas of life. Why not prisons too?
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